New Delhi: US President Donald Trump’s global tariff war has had one major consequence - India and China, the world’s second and fifth largest economies, respectively - are growing closer, with focus on trade ties.

The development is significant since ties between the two neighbouring countries had been strained in the last few years. It appears that even before Trump announced tariffs in April, China had reached out to India, signalling willingness for economic collaborations. In March, when Trump escalated trade tensions with China, Beijing initiated discreet diplomatic communications with India, according to a Bloomberg report. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu to explore possibilities of bilateral engagements.

An Indian official with knowledge of the situation told Bloomberg that the letter expressed worries about potential US deals that could affect Chinese interests and designated a regional official to lead Beijing's diplomatic initiatives. The message was subsequently conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the report said.Following Xi's letter to Murmu in March of this year, Beijing released a statement from the Chinese leader praising bilateral relations.

His senior officials, including Vice President Han Zheng, subsequently adopted similar positive rhetoric to characterise the improving relationship between the two nations. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who maintains reliable and direct communication with China’s senior leadership, is spearheading the diplomatic engagement. As India’s special representative for border negotiations, Doval undertook official visits to China in December 2024 and June 2025.